FOUR | The Lycan Pack

XAVIA 

"Y-you are not going home?" the older man asked and I nodded.

"We are not going home"

"Why do you not want to leave?" the older man asked.

"If you tell us the reason why you took us from the Ice pack and brought us here, then we will leave"

He sighed and turned to speak to the younger man. I could not hear what they were talking about nor could their expression be read. I tried to look at the young man with the mask on.

"Do you think they will let us stay?" Alaila asked and I shrugged, not taking my gaze away from him. "What if he insists that we leave?"

I sighed. "I don't think they will. They had not given us any reason why we were bought from the Ice pack, only to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere and asked to go home. They do not know where we belong to either"

"He wants you both to go home," the older man said.

I blinked. "Are you for real? You can't drop us off here and asked us to go home. Do you even know where we came from?"

I was furious they took us from the Ice pack without any reason.

"W-where do you want us to go?"

Alaila's eyes were teary already and I felt sorry for her.

"We will work for you!" I said and the older man stared at me.

"He doesn't want..."

"I can be his mouthpiece" I cut him short. "I know he finds it difficult to speak to others. I will help him talk..."

"He is not comfortable with people. How do you expect him to work with you?"

I sighed. "Just let us work for you until we pay off the money you paid for us"

"He doesn't want you to pay off the money"

"Then can we stay with you until we find our family?"

"Do you know where your families are? How long will that take you?"

I sighed. "Then help us find them. We will leave after you find them. We can't go back to our homes. The Ice pack warriors will come back and they will take us again. This time we might not be alive for you to save us"

"But you have a signed con..."

"The Ice pack Alpha is very ruthless. He will kill us without a second thought. You should have left us at the packhouse instead of bringing us here only to be killed brutally"

The older man stared at me with worry and sighed. After speaking to the young man for a while he turned to face us." "He will let you stay and he will help you find your family. But..." I stared at him, very eager to know what he wants to say. "You have to promise that you will leave after your families are..."

I nodded quickly. "We will, I promise"

"Go back to the car. We are leaving"

"Thank you" I muttered.

Alaila and I returned to the other car and the journey continued.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" she asked.

I was not sure if it was a good idea or not. "I think we will be safe with him"

She sighed. "I think so too. I am just worried about his personality. He doesn't speak to anyone aside from the older man. Do you think he is..."

"Shh..." I placed my hand across her mouth. I could see the driver staring dangerously at us through the rearview mirror. "That's enough" I whispered. "I don't think we can speak about him here"

She nodded and there was silence for a while. I looked through the window, resting myself fully in the chair. It does look like a good idea to go to his pack with him. I glance at the driver through the rearview mirror. His face had loosened up and he seems to focus on the road. I sighed. As long as we do not speak ill about their Alpha, I don't think we will get into trouble.

** 

When the car stopped, we were asked not to leave the car but to remain seated until we are told otherwise. I began to wonder why we needed to stay in the car and for how long.

"Do not look outside through the window either" the driver warned.

I could see the seriousness on his face and that got me worried.

Isn't this place worse than the Ice pack? I wondered. 

There was an awkward silence and the environment felt awkward too.

"You can leave the car now," he said but I was reluctant. 

For some reason, I couldn't bring myself to leave the car. I could feel my heart beating so fast and my palms were sweaty already. Alaila held my hand and pulled me carefully out of the car. I did not realize she was out already. 

"It's a nice view," she told me and I looked around.

I noticed there was nobody aside from Alaila, the driver, and me. I turned to look for the other car but it was gone. A woman who seems to be in her late fifties joined us. She had this charming smile on and that got me smiling too.

"I am Helen, the head of all the maids here. You don't have to be afraid of anything, ok?". I nodded and she smiled. Now follow me," she said and I nodded.

We followed her to a building and then to a room. "You both will stay here. Mary here will attend to all your needs" she pointed at the young girl already in the room. "You can ask whatever you want from her"

I furrowed my brows. Why do we have someone to attend to us? When we should be working?

"But..."

She grinned slightly. "I understand what you want to say. Let's say you both have found favor in the eyes of the Alpha and he wants you to be treated as Queens"

I sighed. "Can we help out? I do not feel comfortable getting treatment that I do not deserve"

She placed her hand on my hair and caress it slowly. "You've got such long hair and cute eyes too". I knew immediately she wanted me to stop asking questions. "Mary, go and prepare their bath. I will ask some maids to bring you some food. Then you can get some rest. You need it"

I nodded and she left. Mary left for the bathroom to prepare our bath and Alaila moved closer to me.

"Are we really, going to stay here?"

I nodded and she smiled. "I hope this last for a long time"

I nodded. I want it to last for a long time too but I also want us to find our family as soon as possible too.

"Your bath is ready," Mary said and I nodded.

"Thanks, Mary. Alaila, you should go take your bath"

Mary left the room while Alaila went to take her bath. I waited for a while and when she was finally out of the bathroom, I went in to take mine. It was one of the best baths I had taken so far. I stepped out of the bathroom and noticed Alaila was not in the room.

"Alaila?" I cooed. I walked to the door and peeped. The hallway was empty. "Alaila?" I called but there was no answer.

I returned to the room to quickly wear my cloth and then went in search of her. I was out of the building in a short time and was finding my way to the packhouse. I passed through the training ground. I could hear the sound of swords clashing. It was so loud, I became interested in what was going on and walked toward the training ground.  I peeped through the fence into the hall and noticed there were two young men. One of them turned and our eyes got locked up. He has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen and his brows were full and well curved. I got lost in staring at him until someone flicked his fingers across my face and I blinked back to the presence.

"Who are you?" the other man asked and I blinked. I did not notice when he walked closer to the fence. "And what are you looking at?"

"I... I..."

He frowned. "Did you lose your tongue, huh?"

"I-I am Xavia". He stared at me and I groaned slightly.

What else does he want me to say?

"I..."

"Let her go," another person said. I looked up to see the older man that had brought us to this place. "The Alpha wants you to let her go"

I blinked.

Don't tell me the man with beautiful eyes is the Alpha. I tried to look into the hall and he was gone.

"Is the..."

"Xavia, go back to the building and don't leave your room without a reason, ok?"

I nodded and turned to leave.

"Who is she?" the other man asked.

I slow down my steps.

"A girl the Alpha saved"

"You mean Axel saved someone?"

I waited for the older man to answer but he did not. I turned and noticed that there was another person with them and he had a mask on. I blinked. He was dressed in the same cloth as the man with beautiful eyes.

"Take your mask off, Axel," the older man said.

Axel stared at me and the others turned to look at me too. Without thinking twice, I turned and ran away. I ran to the building and I stopped. I turned to see if anyone was following me and hit myself slightly in the head for running without a reason. Adjusting myself and sucking in some air, I walked into the room. Alaila was in already.

"Where did you go to?" she asked moving closer to me. "I was about to go and look for you"

I folded my arms. "Did you leave the room?"

She nodded. "I went with Mary to help her get..."

"You should have told me. I thought something bad had happened to you"

She chuckled. "I spoke to you when you were in the bathroom. I guess you enjoyed the jacuzzi so much, you did not hear me". I sighed and sat down on the bed. "Is everything ok?".

I nodded, pushing my hair behind my ear. "Yes. I was just worried about you"

She smiled. "You don't have to worry about me, ok?". I sighed. She pointed at the table. "Let's eat. I am so hungry"

"Did you wait for me?"

She nodded. "I did. Come over, let's eat"

**

I opened my eyes quickly when a ray of light shined on my face. I adjusted myself and closed my eyes to continue sleeping. I felt a hand touch me and I opened my eyes again.

"Wakey, wakey. It's morning already, Xavia" Alaila said and I groaned slightly.

I sat up rubbing my eyes. "Is it really, morning already?"

She sat down beside me. "It's morning and also our first day at the Lycan pack"

I blinked, recalling we had come to the Lycan pack yesterday with the Alpha.

"It-it's not a dream?". I turned to face her. "I mean the Lycan pack Alpha helping us get out of the Ice pack?"

She chuckled. "It's not a dream, Xavia. I also thought it was a dream when I woke up but it is not"

I sighed. "Are we really, going to stay here until our families are found and we are safe?"

She nodded. "We will be here until the Alpha finds our families. And yes, we are safe now". She stood up. "Enough of the talks. You should go take your bath. I spoke to Helen and she agreed that we can help out in the kitchen for as long as we do not get into trouble"

I smiled, standing up from the bed. "Are you for real?"

She nodded. "I am for real"

I ran into the bathroom to take my bath. I have been worried that we are getting the treatment we do not deserve and we might be asked for a greater price in the end. But now, knowing that we can work, I can think of that as the price we are paying for our lives being saved and I won't have to worry about anything.